Liveblog: Canadiens complete season sweep of Islanders with 4-2 win

Alex Galchenyuk, who hadn’t lit the lamp since Oct. 29 in Edmonton, scored his first home-ice goal of the season on a third-period power play to give the Canadiens a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Max Pacioretty added an empty-netter– the Canadiens’ eighth of the season.

Carey Price made 21 saves to run his record to 9-2.

Anders Lee scored on an Islanders power play 12 minutes into the final period to set up a torrid ending.

The teams played a very even 19 minutes in the first period before Kyle Okposo overpowered David Desharnais behind the Canadiens net to start a sequence that ended with John Tavares tapping in a loose puck for his 10th goal of the season.

Desharnais batted in a rebound on a Canadiens power play nearly 10 minutes into the middle period to tie the game at 1-1.

Then with Thomas Plekanec in the penalty box, fellow Czech Tomas Fleischmann scored on a breakaway to give the Canadiens the lead. It was the Canadiens’ league-leading fifth shortie of the season.

Brendan Gallagher was hit in the left hand by a Johnny Boychuk shot in the second period and did not return.

Another solid team victory. Price was solid. Pleks’ line, missing Gallagher after his ill-advised glove block of a Boychuk bomb, still managed to battle the Tavares line. DD scored on the PP, off a great set up by Le Demon Weise, and Fleischmann is the greatest Tryout signing ever. He will patrol there on LW for the next two after his extension. Andrighetto’s speed worked well with Eller’s toughness and Galchenyuk’s skill. Semin looked okay again on the 4th. That penalty was a bit of overzealous reffing.
Pateryn, paired with Gilbert is a great #3 to #2 pairing. Petry with Beaulieu is working out th be a great #2 to #1 pairing, while PK and Markov make an excellent #1 to #2 pairing. This is a great “problem” to have. 29 other teams must watch the way these guys play and include anyone of them as a player they would like to have.

A “depth” test is now under way. How will the Habs compete without Gallagher, the heart and soul of tenacity?

We will miss Gally who, as is often noted, never takes a shift off. The accolades are well deserved. But this season, I can’t think of ever seeing Pleks take a shift off. Like Gally, he just keeps going and going flat out. Very impressive.

That was a special teams win if I ever saw one. Two huge wins over a very physically tough opponent while overcoming injuries. They should just give the Beauchamp award to the whole third line. They were excellent on special teams with DD and Fleischmann scoring. The thing I love about Fleischmann is that he is always looking top-shelf. More Habs should as well. Semin with another 3rd period penalty when it looked like he would get a chance with the 1st line…that didn’t last long. Ghetto proved tonight that Semin is too slow for Chucky and Eller. With the 1st line, Semin would be too irresponsible. Rather see Bud with Pleks and Max. In the end, it all comes back to Price. An MVP gives an aura of confidence to a team so that even though under tremendous pressure, they hold steadfast and survive. Usually a season is broken up into chapters with different themes. A new chapter is about to begin: the multiple forward injuries chapter. Now we are going to find out how deep this organization really is.

I am willing to forgive mistakes by players who play hard and have produced. I am not willing to forgive repeated mistakes by a player on his last chance because of years of lackadaisical play. Semin had 7 games off to work with the coaches and he comes back and gets two 3rd period-1 goal lead penalties within a week. You want me to give him praise??? This is not hate, it is facts. The Montreal Canadiens are not a career rehabilitation center.

I have to laugh at the announcers every game. It`s the same old rhetoric Habs getting out hit. The Habs are a possession first team and yet they cannot get this through their tiny little mind that if you have possession it is hard to throw a hit while skating with the puck.

I can`t remember any player throwing a hit while stick handling with the puck. Yet all they have to harp about is the Habs getting man handled and get out muscled and out hit.

When the game is over the Habs come out with the two points. Which is really all that matters in the end.

To you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high.

If memory serves, Kovalev leveled Darcy Tucker while still in possession of the puck. Tucker tried to take his head off moments earlier, so Kovalev circled around to exact some revenge. ‘Twas a thing of beauty!

Kovalev did have the puck but before he threw that hit on Tucker he put it into Tuckers feet and when Tucker looked down Kovalev laid the forearm shiver into Tuckers head. It was a thing of beauty. In the meantime though for that split second he didn`t have the puck and hit at the same time.

To you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high.

Different game strategies. It’s pretty clear to me that MT does not want his players sacrificing positioning and staying in the play in favour of laying on a good hit. When’s the last time we saw Subban bee sting anyone?

Habs play like sheep dogs now, just corralling the foe until they cough the puck up and then counter-attacking quickly (when that opportunity arises).

Isles have a different strategy after that strong first line, and I’m not sure it’s working. They are out of the play-offs on points % basis, right now, and I’m suspect on whether they will make it at year’s end. If they do, I think it will only be as a wild card.

The commentators need news bites and the biggest/highest hitting team in the NHL is a news bite. They didn’t attempt to infer that it was winning them games; that read is reading too much into it.

Here is another way to look how well the Habs are playing this year. The third line of Fleischman, Desharnais and Weise have 23 goals. The islanders line of Tavares, Olkposo and Neilsen have 22 goals with a lot more minutes.

To you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high.

Again I ask, by what measure is Desharnais-Fleischmann-Weise considered the third line? Is it to elevate their achievements, to say it’s remarkable that a line as lowly as theirs can accumulate so many points?
Isn’t it time to recognize they are the de facto second line?
How can anyone still refer to Galchenyuk, Eller and Guest Winger as the second line, when the right side is a revolving door?

Came on to celebrate the victory — and to see how far I’d have to scroll down to see something negative written about Eller, who I thought played a solid game. Sure enough, there were complaints about his play.
Maybe I should have scrolled down further, they might have said something good about him, because he did deliver several good passes.
I also might have come across these same posters saying not-nice things about some of the bonehead plays made by other Habitants.
But I doubt it. Eller is the only Hab whose hockey IQ, regrettably, doesn’t approach theirs.
I suppose I should be thankful for the incisive commentary they regularly contribute to our understanding of the game but I’ve read them enough times, over and over and over again, that what they have to say is no longer fresh. Nor particularly insightful, at least in this one regard, but that was always the case.
I guess some people find comfort in predictability. I just find it … sad.

It has always bugged me when I see comments that question Eller’s hockey smarts or assert he has no vision. Sure, his offensive skills might not be the equal of Desharnais, but his critics put him down as having little at best, if any.
And this whole thing with the ranking of lines … If other teams still think of Desharnais-Weise-Fleischmann as the third line and not second, well, that says something about the caliber of their coaching.
No wonder the three do so well, opponents are under-estimating them. To their detriment.
Should be a cakewalk to the final.

Eller, unfortunately is saddled with too high expectations. He’s been given a chance (i.e., he’s been asked / given a chance to play) at 2nd line, when he is a third liner. That means more difficult assignments, more ice time.

I am one that prefers Eller as a third liner, and I think at centre too, if at all possible.

The effort is always there from him, and there’s the odd brain burp (like grabbing the puck with his hand the other game), but the fact remains he can’t see ice great. It’s only one component of hockey IQ, but it’s the one that is essential to flow into the offensive part of the game.

The fact remains, Eller is the only minus player on the team this season. In his 6 years with the Habs he is a total -24. Amongst the forwards, only 2 were as bad (Bourque at -27 gone; Gomez at -24 gone).

The next worst is at -9 (Ryan White gone and Travis Moen gone).

The next worst current roster player is DSP at -1.

There is more to hockey value than Plus-Minus, certainly, but its a major stat for me: “Where were you when the puck went into the net?” Because team game plus-minus determines the game’s winner.

The team is winning. The coach does not change things up when winning, and I fully agree with that.

MT is playing it out, as long as the team is winning. However, Eller is not going to become a top-6 forward (IMO) no matter how long he plays at it. That’s all I am saying. I didn’t think the experiment would work, and it is not; or certainly not yet.

And I don’t think the Plus-Minus stat is a red herring in Eller’s case. I really don’t. I do think it is an indicator.

Not a top 6 player? Big deal.
I have no problem thinking of Eller as a valuable Top 9 forward. I suspect Therrien sees him that way too.
As long as he continues to contribute in some fashion to the team’s success, great.
And don’t forget he’s a Top 4 penalty killer …

The Habs played a good patient game knowing that the Islanders were going to play a better first and to make sure that three goals were not being scored tonight.

The special teams played a key role scoring 3 powerplay goals on five chances and scoring a shorthanded goal while killing off 5 chances against. Price looked more comfortable tonight and just lie Friday and it’s not a knock against Condon but the Habs seem to play a more confident game in front of Price.

Gallagher looks like he will miss a few games but such has been the case in this early part of the season, Canadiens ” depth” a word heavily used in hockey circles looks to be coming to the forefront this season. We saw it with Price out for three weeks missing nine games, now with Mitchel going on IR Andrighetto looks to get a chance to shine and looked pretty good tonight. Pateryn just stepped in and the Habs defense hasn’t missed a beat with Emelin going down. Now with Smith Pelley going down and Gallgher we will see some more AHLers get a turn. Holloway who is a little older with get a game Wednesday to show what he can do.

Hopefully Holloway who Los Angeles had high hopes for and didn`t want to lose shows some of that talent for the Habs. Wednesday is another big game as they all are but this game versus the Rangers is a little more as they say measuring stick because of all the injuries.

Both teams have excellent goaltenders now it`s just a matter of player execution and this is where our replacements will have to play their game. The team seams to have confidence no matter who plays and this season for the first time in a long time the Habs have a legitimate shot at Lord Stanley`s mug.

To you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high.

I didn’t see the pre-game show but I did find it odd that in the first intermission, Brunt just sat there, without being asked to contribute anything to the discussion. McLean never gave him an opportunity to ask a question or make a comment. Maybe it’s to make up for all those times he has to hand over air time to Cherry in Coach’s Corner.

Technically that last goal was a power play, too. That makes 3 power play goals and 1 ahortie. The Canadians (English spelling) are short-handed now. Emelin, Smith-Pelley, Mitchell and now Gallagher. That is a large number of starters injured. Price just returned. last year’s medical report was thin. This year’ seems to be compensating statistically. If Gallagher broke his hand or finger he would miss 4-5 weeks. He will surely be missed. Hollande [s.i.c.?] will play the next game. Will another St. Johns Iceman be called?
Howard Flinker

He chose to mis-spell the Habs team name and then to reference another team (St Johns (sic) Icemen) that doesn’t exist.
Be thankful he isn’t schooling us on the ” national ” health care program and, BTW, don’t forget to genuflect on your way out.

Very good game from the Habs tonight. Battled hard and killed a good amount of penalties to beat a good team.

Chucky is so talented that it just makes you wanna stick Phil Kessel or Pavelski (or Patch, but we need one more scorer) on his line and see what happens. Boy, if we got the talent for him to really excel, that would be something.

PK looking good, comme d’habitude. The guy just flies out there. I don’t know how people can ever be down on him, he’s a stud. I wish he’d try and do more though, instead of always looking for the pass off his rushes. He has the talent to push through to the net or snipe one.

On the whole, Habs lookin’ great. Beau and Petry… man what a pairing and what a difference. Same with Gilbert and Pat, they just work well and I love how the latter was just wiring shots trying to find that net for like 3 in a row I think in the second period, that’s what you gotta do.

And the DD line? Câline! We have the best “third” line in the league.

Good for Timo to get the win too!

One thing that makes no sense and which also grinds my gears is that people are just bashing Max for no reason. If we grant that he is struggling and floating, he still has 19 points in 21 games, that may be 20 in 21 games if the NHL site was not reflecting his latest goal. So if that’s what struggling means, then watch out for when he breaks out. Seriously, we all know what Patch can do – and even if he is not at his best right now he’s still managed to rack up the points and he still takes a lot of pressure off the other players because teams are looking to defend against his shot and speed. Yet some still wanna denigrate the guy? It just makes 0 sense. Have some respect for the guy, he always works super hard to come back from injury and is the teams best goal scorer in years. I guess it’s easy to judge him from the couch or bar, in front of the TV screen while trying to wipe off wing sauce, while he’s out there bustin his balls so the fans can have a winning team. He’s basically like Batman right now, people just don’t appreciate.

Grabovski has a brain cramp and runs into Price, accidentally on purpose. A residual habit from from his practice drills in Leafsland.
Just like a certain Monsieur Krecji, costs his team at least a point and then, it turns out, two.

Beauty goal by the sometimes maligned Galchenyuk.

Too bad about Gally. The Habs are getting their fair share of injuries, all of sudden.

So what do we see next?

Semin, Andrighetto and this “Bud” Holloway dude that we have heard about but not seen yet?

I guess Kassian could have come in handy right about now.

Great to have the depth on D. Let us see how the forwards do over the next few to several games.